Bears Floated as Option to Sign Rival’s $84 Million Defensive Star

The Chicago Bears are planning to have multiple young players battle for the No. 2 cornerback job opposite Jaylon Johnson during training camp, but they could still make a bolder play while effectively sticking it to the Green Bay Packers.

Last week, the Packers released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander from their 2025 roster after spending several months evaluating their options with him. The 28-year-old had been one of their top defenders when healthy, but he missed 21 games — including their most recent playoff contest — over the past two seasons due to injuries.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Packers had tried to trade Alexander around free agency in March and during the 2025 NFL draft in April. They also offered him a “reduced, incentive-laden, one-year deal” in an effort to keep him at a lower rate, though Alexander — with two years left on an $84 million deal — declined their offer.

Now, Alexander is a free agent who may hold a grudge against the Packers. And if he does, BearsWire’s Mike Pendleton thinks the Bears could consider signing him.

“Adding [Alexander] to the Bears roster would ignite more fuel to the rivalry,” Pendleton wrote. “Alexander’s biggest flaw has been his injury history and lack of availability in recent seasons, but he would provide some depth to the Bears’ secondary at the cornerback position. Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are the core of this team’s secondary, but it feels as if Tyrique Stevenson could be playing for job security, and the presence of Alexander could bring the best out of the young corner.”

Does Jaire Alexander Make Enough Sense in Chicago?

GettyNFL free agent and former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Alexander is a rare talent to have available in free agency this late in the NFL offseason. While his injuries over the past two seasons have diminished his profile, he recorded five interceptions, 14 pass deflections and 56 total tackles the last time he played a near-full season in 2022, giving him plenty of upside for a team that needs a boost at corner.

Does Alexander make sense in Chicago, though?

The idea of Johnson playing alongside a healthy Alexander for Dennis Allen’s new Bears defense in 2025 is enticing, but the Bears might not want to invest significant money in another veteran after extending Johnson in 2024 and Gordon earlier this year in April. The younger members of their rotation give them even less reason to invest in a corner, as they can likely find a starter between Stevenson, Terell Smith and rookie Zah Frazier.

Alexander might not have any desire to play for the Bears, either.

Even if the Packers have upset him, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both have stronger needs for cornerback competition on their roster and more cap space to make Alexander a competitive offer. The Lions are in an especially good position to pay him with roughly $40 million remaining in effective cap space, according to Over the Cap.

Bears Have Other Positions to Prioritize Before Camp

One of the other realities that pops Alexander-to-Chicago thought bubbles is that the Bears have other spots on their roster in greater need of attention than cornerback.

Coming out of minicamp, there is still a strong case for the Bears to add further to their running back room. The Bears’ front office and coaching staff teased the possibility of the team making a substantial addition to their backfield during the 2025 offseason, but they emerged with just one new addition: seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai.

Perhaps the Bears feel Monangai is the only addition they need with both of last year’s top rushers — D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson — back in the fold for 2025, but it leaves them on shaky ground that could push them to make another veteran signing.

The Bears could also stand to add more edge-rushing depth. They return Montez Sweat and added veteran Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency, but recent draft picks Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson are the next pass rushers in the pecking order, and neither one has shown enough at this stage to be considered a “reliable” option for the Bears.

Even if the Bears feel encouraged about their younger pass rushers, they might decide it is best, from a competition standpoint, to sign another veteran off the open market.